NA TURE 



[February 6, 1908 



of the double chlorides of dimercuriammoniiim and 

 ammonium: H. Caudechon. The compounds 



NHgjCl.NH.CI, N"Hg,C1.3NH,,Cl, 



in presence of water at the ordinary temperature beliave 

 as true double salts. — The establishment of the constitu- 

 tional formula of fenone : L. Bouveault and M. 

 Levallois. The authors regard their experimental woric 

 as definitely eliminating the formula suggested bv \\'allach, 

 and giving great probability to that of Semmler. — The 

 essence of Magnolia kohus: Eug. Charabot and (_;. 

 Laloue. This essence consists chiefly of citral (15 per 

 cint.) and anethol. — The volcano of Siroua, Moroccan 

 Anti-Atlas : Louis Gentil. — Researches on the pulp called 

 Nett6 flour : A. Goris and L. Crete. The name flour 

 applied to this substance, which is obtained from the fruit 

 of Parkia 'higlobosa, is a misnomer, as it contains no 

 starch. It is rich in fatty matter, phosphates, and sugar 

 (saccharose). As regards the latter, it contains about 

 25 per cent, of saccharose and 20 per cent, of glucose and 

 levulose, and surpasses either the sugar beet or sugar 

 cane. — The ervthrolvtic function of the spleen in fishes : 

 Richard Blumenthal. In fish the spleen appears to be 

 normally the place where the red corpuscles of the blood 

 are destroyed. — Modifications of the blood caused by the 

 injection of atropine or of peptone : MM. Doyen and CI. 

 Gautier. — Bovine bacilliform piroplasmosis observed in 

 ihe neighbourhood of -Algiers : H. Soulie and G. Roig-. 

 — .An attempt at grafting articular tissues : Henri Judet. 

 These experiments were made on rabbits, dogs, and cats, 

 and show that it is possible to repair a loss of articular 

 cartilage by the transplantation of fragments arising either 

 from the costal cartilages of the same animal or the 

 articular cartilages of an animal of closely allied species. 

 — The nature of the urns of the .Siphuncles : J. Kunstler. 

 — Bacillus cndotlirix, a new bacterial parasite of the hair : 

 Fernand Guegruen. — A Laboulbenaciea?, Trenomyccs 

 histot>htorus, an endoparasite of the lice (Mcnopon 

 pallidum and Goiiiocotes ahdominalis) of the domestic 

 fowl ; Edouard Chalton and Franc^ois Picard.— The 

 middle Lias in the Seybouse basin (.Algeria) : J. Dareste 

 .de la Chavanne. — .A neotype of Pinus {Pseudostrohus) 

 llcfraiicci in the Lutetian of the Trocadero (Paris) : Paul 

 Combesi jun. — Characteristics of the foliar trace in genera 

 Gyropteris and Tubicaulis : Paul Bertrand. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, Febrimhv 6. 



Royal Society, at 4.30.-00 the Weight of Preclpitum obtainable in 

 Precipitin Interactions with Small Weights of Homologous Protein : Prof 

 n. A. Welsh and H. G. Chapman.— Nitrification in Acid Soils- A. H 

 Hall, N. H. J. Miller, and C. T. G.mingh.-<m.- A Criticism of Ihe 

 Opsonic Theory based upon Studies carried out by Means of Melanin : 

 ,S. G. Shattock and L. S. Dudgeon— A Contribution to the Study of the 

 Mechanism of Respiration, with Especial Reference to the Action of the 

 Vertebral Column and Diaphragm: J. F. Halls-Dally. 



RnvAL Institution, at 3.— The Story of the .Spanish Armada: Major 

 Martin Hume. 



Institution of Electhical Engineeks, at 8.— Protective Devices for 

 High Tension Transmission C.rcuils: J. S. Peclc. 



LiNNEAK Society, at 8. — Fruits and Seeds from the Pre-Glacial Beds of 

 Britain and the Netherlands: Clement Reid. F.R.S.— On a Method of 

 Disintegrating Pent and other Deposits containing Fossil Seeds : Mrs. 

 Reid.— On a Bo'anical Expedition to Fokien : S. T. Dunn. 



Civil and Mechanical Encineers' Society, at 8.- .Some Devices for 

 the Absorption of Shock on Wheeled Vehicles : F. G. W. ollard- 



Chemical Society, at S.30.— The Metallic Pirr.ites : O. Silberrad and 

 H A. Phillips.— Organic Derivatives of Silicon. Part V., Kenzylethyl- 

 silicone, Dibenzylsilicone and fther Benzyl- and Benzylethyl-derivatives 

 of Silirane: R. Robison and F. S. Kipping— Some Physico-chemical 

 Properties of Mixtures of Pyridine and Water: H Hartley, N G. 

 Thomas, and M. P. Applebey.— The ConstituMon of Umbellulone, Part 

 III.: F. Tulin.— The Resi-'ual Affinity of the Coumarins and Thio- 

 coumarins as shown by their Additive Compounds : -\. Clayton. — The 

 Influ-nceof Foreign Substances .m Certain Transition Temperatures, and 

 the Determination of Molecular Weights: H. M. Dawson and C. G. 

 lackson.— The Bromination of ;*-Hydro.\ydiphenylamine : Miss A. E. 

 Smith and K. J. P, Orton-- Colour and Constitution of as-Methine 

 Compounds, Part I- : F. G, Pope.— The Decomposition of Ammonium 

 Bichromate by Heat. Preliminary Notice : W. M. Hooton. 



j5'j?//).4r, February 7. 

 Royal Society of Arts, at 8.— The Hygiene of the Pottery Trade : W. 



Burton. 

 Institution of Civil Encineers, at 8.— Electric Hardening and An- 

 nealing Furnaces: P. T. Steinthal. 



;ISTS' Association, at 8.— Presidential Address : The Centenary of 



the Geological Society : R. S. He 



NO. t997, VOL. 77] 



Junior Institution -of Engineers, at 8.— Aerial Navigation: H. 

 Chatley. 



MONO A V, February 10. 



Rf-iVAL Socir-;TV of Arts, at 8. — The Theory and Practice of Clock Making : 

 H. H. Cunynghame. C.B. 



Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30. — The Story of London Maps : 

 Laurence Gomme. 



TU/rSDAy; Fedrvadv :i. 



Royal Institution, at 3. — ^Membranes : Thtir Structure, Uses, and 

 Products: Prof. W. Stirling. 



Royal Anthrotological Institute, at 8.30. -Additional Notes on New 

 Guinea Games: Dr. A. C. Haddon, F.R.S.— E.xhibition ofa New Instru- 

 ment for determining the Colour of the Hair, Skin, and Eyes : J. Gray. 



iNSTiruTlON OF ClviL ENrHNEERS, at 8. — The Erection of the Pwll-y-Pant 

 Viaduct on the Brecon and Merthyr E.vtension of the Barry Railway : 

 A- L. Dickie.— Notes on the Erection of Cantilever Bridges: Prof. T. C. 

 Fidler. 



WEDyESDAV, Feuroarv 12. 



RoY'AL Society of Arts, at 8. — The -Application of .Science to Foundry 

 Work: R, Buchanan. 



Royal Sanitary Institute, at 8.— Rivers Pollution, with Special Refer- 

 ence to the Biard proposed by the Royal Commission: Sir William 

 Rami.iy, K.C.B., F.R.S. 



THURSDAY, Vf.brva^v i^. 



Royal Society, at ^.y^.— Probable Papers :— The Constitution of the 

 Electric Spark : T. Koyds.— On the Determinati .n ofViscoiity at High 

 Temperatures: Dr. C. E. Fawsitt. -The Effect of Hydrogen on the Dis- 

 charge of Negative Electricity from Hot Platinum : Prof. H. A. Wilson, 

 F.R.S —The Decomposition of Ozone by Heat : E. P. Perman and R. H. 

 Greaves. 



Royal Society of Arts, at 4.30.— The New Imperial Gazetteerof India : 

 R. Burn. 



Mathematical Society, at 5.30. — Proof that every .\lgebraic Equation 

 has a Root : Dr. H. A. de S. Pittard.— On the Uniform Approach 

 of a Continuous Function to its Limit: Dr. W. H. \'oung.— Note on 

 ,;.differ ences : Rev. F. H. Jackson. 



FRIDA V, February 14. 

 Royal Institution, at g. — Biology and History; Dr. C W. Saleeby. 

 Royal Astronomical Society, at 5. — Anniversary Meeting. 

 Physical Society, at B 



Malacological Society-, at 8. — Annual Meeting. — President's Address : 

 Malacology versus Palseoconchology : B. B. Wojdward. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Transpiration and Anatomical Structure in Tropical 



Plants. By A. G. T 313 



Climate and Man. By Prof. GrenviUe A. J. Cole . . 314 



The Modern Microscope 314 



Mathematical Text-books 315 



Our Book Shelf:-- 



Hatch and Vallentine : "Mining Tables"; "The 



Weights and Measures of International Commerce" 317 

 Revillon ; " Les Aciers speciaux." — A. McW. . . . 317 

 Hulbert : " Voice Training in Speech and Song" . . 317 



Karny : " Revisio Conocephalidarum" 317 



Letters to the F ditor — 



The Cotton Plant.— Lieut. -Col. D, Prain, CLE., 



F.R.S 31S 



The Inheiitarce of "Acquired" Characters. — Dr. 



H. Charlton Bastian, F R-S. . . 319 



The NaliireofRi.nigen Rays-— Dr. Charles G.Barkla 319 

 The Wave-lenj;th of Rontgen Ray.s. — Piof. J. Staik 320 

 The Orientation of the Avebury Circles. — Rev. Ed. 



H. Goddard 3:0 



Stability in Flight. — Major B. Baden-Powell; 



Herbert Chatley . 320 



The Stresses in Masonry Dams. — H. M Martin . . 320 

 Some Scientific Centres. No. XII. — The Botanical 

 Institute of the University of Bonn. (lUiislralid.) 



By Prof. D. M. Mottier ... 321 



Examination v. Research. By Dr. F. C. S. Schiller 322 



Prof. C. A. Young 324 



Notes 324 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



The Distortion of Photographic Films in Slellar Work 328 



Two Hiindreil i\ew Double Stais 328 



A New Astionoiiiical journal 328 



The Study of Meteor Trains 328 



The Accuracy of Double-star Measures 328 



Forty-one New Vaii,<ble Siars 329 



American Ethnology. (Illustrated.) .... . . 329 



The Nitrogen Pioblem in Agriculture. By E. J. R. 330 



Mathematical Education and Research 331 



Radiography in Pearl Fishing 3^' 



University and Educational Intellicence 332 



Societies an<i Acauemies. {With Diagram.) . 33- 



Diary of Societies 336 



